


The Study

by deinde_prandium, hutchabelle



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:39:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8182295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deinde_prandium/pseuds/deinde_prandium, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark agree to participate in a paid research study at Panem State University at the urging of their roommates, Annie Cresta and Finnick Odair. There's just one catch: in order to receive payment, Katniss and Peeta have to pretend to be in love and in a committed relationship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I did something terribly ill-advised as a result of a post I found on tumblr and started yet another story. I don’t know how it happened; all I can say is that one minute I was laughing to myself, and the next thing I know it was 2 am and I’d written nearly 1500 words, with no idea how I’d be able to pull the rest of it together. Luckily, the amazing @hutchhitched (hutchabelle on AO3) came to the rescue, and after some late night brainstorming, we now have a plan for about 3-4 parts…all wrapped in a lovely fake dating/friends-to-lovers package, complete with smut. Yay for new writing partners!
> 
> As always, we own nothing (but borrow with love). Enjoy!

“So, I signed us up for something. It looks like fun.”

Peeta looks up from his bowl of cereal as Finnick slaps a piece of paper down on the kitchen table. “Huh?”

“You, me, Annie, and Katniss. I signed us up to participate in a paid psych experiment. Check it out.”

He picks up the flyer to figure out what the hell it is Finnick has gotten him and his housemates into. _Panem State Department of Psychology – Paid Research Opportunity_ , the paper reads in bolded letters. Peeta’s eyes widen, however, when he sees the next line. “Romantic couples study??”

“Yeah,” Finn says with a nod. “We’re obviously all over 18, and we’ve been living in this house for almost a year. They want people who’ve been living together for at least six months, so we’re in the clear.”

“Speak for yourself. But you seem to be forgetting that only two of the four of us happen to be in a _‘committed, monogamous romantic relationship,’_ ” he says, emphasizing the key requirement on the flyer that Finnick neglected to mention. “And I am not one of those two people.”

“Only because you’re too chicken to tell Katniss how you feel, man,” his friend retorts with a smirk.

Peeta glowers at him over his Cheerios. _Fucking shit disturber, always trying to get me to admit that I’m in love with my best friend_ , he thinks. Technically, Finnick’s not wrong, but it’s also nobody’s fucking business but his own. The fact that he’s quietly pined after Katniss for nearly four years isn’t something he wants to discuss with anyone, least of all his troublemaker of a roommate. “Whatever, man,” he says, brushing off Finnick’s comment. “It doesn’t matter. Katniss will never agree to this.”

“She already did, when she found out we’d each be getting 200 bucks for participating.”

“Wh-what?” he sputters.

“Yup.” Finnick shoots him a grin. “You can thank me now, or later. Either works fine.”

“Thank you? What the hell for?”

“For giving you the opening you need. Nothing screams romance like fake dating to earn beer money. Or in Katniss’ case, textbook money.”

Peeta sinks back into his chair with a groan. “This can’t be real. Tell me you’re fucking with me.”

“Sorry,” Finnick replies. The look on his face totally belies the sentiment. “Seriously, Peeta, this is a win-win. The two of you have been attached at the hip since freshman orientation, so you already act like a married couple. Neither of you are dating anyone else at the moment, so there aren’t any messy fake love triangles to deal with. And we’ve already established that you are butt crazy in love with Katniss, so you don’t even have to fake any feelings on your part. And we all get paid! What’s there to lose, really?”

Peeta stops to consider his housemate’s words. In a way, Finn’s right. Not much pretending to do on his part…that would all fall on Katniss. And he knows the money would go a long way for her. He also knows that she’d never go for a scheme like this unless she was hard up for the cash. It’s the least he can do to help her out.

“So…200 bucks.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure that Katniss is okay with this.”

“Definitely. But only if you are, too.”

Peeta lets out a sigh. If he can’t be with her for real, he figures this is better than nothing.

“Okay,” he relents. “I’m in.”

—

Katniss is busily typing away at her dinosaur of a laptop when she hears a light knock on the door. “Come in!” she calls, not bothering to turn around.

“Hey. Am I disturbing you? I can come back later if you want.”

Katniss gives her housemate a gentle smile. “No, no, I’m fine,” she replies. “What’s up, Annie?”

Annie fiddles with a yellow flyer in her hand. “I wanted to show you something,” she says, handing the paper over.

Katniss reads over the ad. “Romantic couples study, huh? Sounds like easy money for you and Finn.”

“Yeah…about that…” Annie falters. “I kind of told Finnick that I didn’t want to be the only ones who did it. So, uh, we kind of signed up you and Peeta to participate, too.”

Katniss nearly falls off her chair. “You did what?!”

Panicked, Annie rushes to her friend’s side. “I know! I know! It was such a stupid, impulsive thing to do, but hear me out before you kill me, okay?”

Katniss closes her eyes and clenches her fists, willing herself to stay calm. _What the hell were they thinking? What will_ Peeta _think? Oh, god._ Opening her eyes, she finds Annie still perched nervously on the bed, as if fully expecting some kind of beat down.

She takes a breath. “Okay,” Katniss says. “Explain.”

Visibly relieved that she hasn’t been thrown out the window, Annie begins her spiel. “Okay, so it’s pretty straightforward. The study is about how couples support one another. From what I can tell, that means you don’t have to worry about them asking about your sex lives or anything like that. You and Peeta won’t even have to lie that much, aside from the part about being romantically involved. You’re best friends, so you can just talk about how you support one another the way you normally do, right?”

Katniss nods, but still isn’t entirely convinced. “What kind of commitment are they looking for in this study?”

“Not much - two or three interviews over the course of the next month. Thirty minutes each, tops. And at the end, we get 200 bucks.”

“200 dollars per couple?”

Annie shakes her head, smiling. “Each.”

_Well,_ that _changes things_ , Katniss thinks, casting another glance at her laptop. That machine has to be on its last legs. She seriously considers going along with Annie’s proposal, but stops short at the thought of Peeta. Money or no, the idea of entering into a fake relationship with her best friend unnerves her. It’s not that she objects to the idea of dating Peeta - far from it, if she’s honest with herself - but she hates the idea of imposing a relationship on him when he’s clearly only ever been interested in being her friend.

Annie, picking up on Katniss’ hesitation, places a hand on her arm. “Finnick already talked to Peeta,” she tells her. “He said he’s up for it, but only if you are. It’s up to you, but no pressure.”

“I don’t know,” Katniss says uncertainly. “I don’t want things to get weird.”

“They won’t,” Annie says reassuringly. “Peeta’s a good guy - of course, you know that already - and he would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Plus, you know each other so well, you’re practically soulmates - in a platonic way, I mean,” she adds quickly.

“Yeah, platonic,” Katniss echoes absently. “Well, if Peeta’s on board, I guess I am too.”

Annie jumps up from the bed, squealing with excitement. “Oh, yay! Thank you so much, you don’t know how much better this makes me feel, knowing you guys are doing this study too.”

“Yeah, well, you owe me,” Katniss replies, drawing her face into a fake scowl. “Just…don’t make me regret this, okay?”

“You won’t,” she promises.

—

Annie returns to the room she shares with Finnick, leaning on door to close it as she lets out a deep breath. She turns to find her boyfriend sitting on the bed.

“So. Is she in?”

“I think so. I almost lost her when I talked about platonic soulmates, but she agreed,” Annie says, plopping down beside him. “What about Peeta?”

“Piece of cake. You know he’d do anything for her, so of course he agreed. Couldn’t help but tell him this was his chance to make his move, though,” Finnick replies with a smirk.

Annie smacks him on the arm. “Don’t be an asshole! Poor Peeta has enough issues without you rubbing his crush on Katniss in his face whenever she’s not around.”

“As if it would matter if she _were_ around,” Finnick counters. “I don’t know how someone that smart can be so oblivious.”

“Touché. But it’s not like Peeta’s any better,” Annie points out.

Lying back, the pair stare up at the popcorn ceiling, hands clasped together. After a few minutes of silence, Annie speaks up once more.

“You think this will work?” The question is a whisper. Nervous, but conspiratorial.

“God, I hope so,” Finnick whispers back. “I love our friends, but they’re total idiots.”

“Idiots for each other. Just like us.”

“Just like us,” he agrees. “All they need is a push in the right direction. And we’ll all get paid for our trouble!”

“Finnick!” she admonishes, her tone equal parts amused and exasperated.

He just grins. “All I can say is, I’m gonna give one hell of a toasting speech when they get married.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because @deinde-prandium (amelinazenitram) and I both have so much free time, we decided to collaborate on a story. A light and fluffy (and wonderful) part 1 was written by @deinde-prandium, and then I got called in for the angst. My apologies. We’re already working on part 3, so don’t despair. We believe in happy endings.
> 
> Enjoy part 2!

 

“This isn’t what I agreed to,” Katniss mutters quietly to herself as she flips through what can only be described as the Great American Research Survey. She can’t help but be annoyed by the realization that her participation in this couples’ study will be a little—okay, a lot—more involved than Annie had let on. Katniss kicks herself for not clueing in from the start; who pays people $200 apiece for participating in a study that doesn’t involve electric shocks or experimental drugs? She should have known it was too good to be true.

 

It’s bad enough that she and Peeta have to pretend to be dating. Now she’s being asked to document their fake relationship via a 20-page questionnaire. She’d walk out, but she promised Annie that she’d do this with her and Finnick. She’d feel guilty for quitting in the first session. Besides, there’s also Peeta to consider.

 

Katniss leans over the wall of her little cubicle to check on her best friend/fake boyfriend’s progress with his own survey. “What did you put down for number four?” she asks, reaching with her pencil to lift up the top page.

 

Peeta swats her hand away with a chuckle. “Eyes on your own paper, cheater.”

 

“I’m not cheating!” she protests. “I’m simply asking for support from my understanding, loving boyfriend.”

 

“Nice try, sweetheart, but I don’t buy that any more than the researchers will,” he retorts with a wink. “Now sit your lovely self down and fill in the bubbles.”

 

“Lovely, my ass,” she mutters and plops back into her chair. She ponders the offending question and finally writes her answer. “Watching princess movies. Let’s see how he explains _that_ one in the interviews.”

 

“I can hear you, you know,” he mock growls. “Don’t you dare reveal my Disney obsession, Katniss. I have blackmail material on you.”

 

“One picture of me in footie pajamas doesn’t count as blackmail, Peeta. If it did, you’d be paying me for eternity.”

 

“Will $200 do it,” he quipped, and she snorted. “Get back to work, Everdeen. There are about three zillion more questions we have to answer before our dinner date. At this rate, Finnick and Annie are going to beat us, and we’ll be eating at that disgusting diner he thinks is so good.”

 

“Well, that helps answer question number 24.” _Peeta’s favorite restaurant is Greasy Sae’s diner_ , she writes with a flourish and grins.

 

“Are you _trying_ to expose us as frauds?” he hisses. “Stop answering everything wrong. You know me better than that.”

 

“I’m aware. That’s part of why this is so much fun.”

 

Her stage whisper hangs in the air, and she pauses at her admission. She is enjoying herself, she realizes, and she’s not quite sure what that means. Shaking off her confusion, she concentrates on the questionnaire but takes advantage of her proximity to her fake boyfriend to tease and joke with him during the rest of their session. By the time they’re ready to turn in their completed forms, she can’t stop grinning at Peeta, and his cerulean eyes sparkle with happiness.

 

“Here you go,” Peeta says cheerfully to the research assistant, a petite dark-haired woman named Johanna, as he hands her both Katniss’ and his papers.

 

Johanna surveys them with narrowed eyes and nods. “Thanks,” she answers in a clipped, no-nonsense tone. “I’m sure these will be very enlightening. I’ve rarely seen two people so in love.” Katniss startles at the derision in Johanna’s observation and casts a furtive look at her best friend. He doesn’t react other than to smile sweetly and wink at the other woman.

 

“Sorry I’m unavailable,” he jokes with a shrug and drapes his arm over Katniss’ shoulders.

 

Johanna snorts and waves them away. “Be back next week on Tuesday. We’ll start the individual interviews then.”

 

“We’ll be here. Come on, baby. Let’s go have dinner.”

 

As they emerge from the building, she elbows him in the ribs and growls, “ _Baby_? _That’s_ your pet name for me? Do I _look_ like a ‘baby’ to you?”

 

“Hey, if you can talk about my obsession with Sleeping Beauty, then I can choose how to lavish my fake girlfriend with affection.”

 

Katniss punches his shoulder when he opens the door of his ancient orange VW Bug for her, but she slides inside with a grin stretching from ear to ear. She’s starving, and the promise of one of Sae’s greasy burgers promises to fill the pit in her stomach. Peeta’s flirting might be contributing to her happiness as well, but she pushes that to the back of her mind. She’ll deal with that nagging thought another time.

 

\---

 

When they arrive at the diner, they find Finnick and Annie in a back booth and wrapped in each other’s arms. They talk in low tones and stare into each other’s eyes in a way that Peeta knows makes Katniss more than a little uncomfortable. However, he’s an incurable romantic, so he whistles softly at the two of them and works hard to suppress the pang of jealousy that eats at him. He wants that same type of committed relationship with Katniss so much it physically hurts.

 

“I can’t believe we have to eat here again,” Katniss grumbles as she slides into the booth. “The food is awful.”

 

Peeta lowers himself to the hard plastic bench next to her and quirks his eyebrow at his friends. Finnick winks at him before focusing on Katniss.

 

“You know you want one of Sae’s specials, so don’t even front.” When she scowls, he jokes, “What’s wrong, Kat? Didn’t like baring your soul to a stack of papers?”

 

Peeta feels her tense beside him, and he gives her knee a gentle squeeze to calm her. The last thing he wants is for her to go over the table before they have a chance to order.

 

“For your information, I had lovely time proclaiming my love for a fictional boyfriend. It was simply delightful,” she snarls, and he tries to ignore the hurt that follows her declaration. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel much like eating or being around the person that normally brings out only positive feelings when he’s around her.

 

“Are you okay, Peeta?” Annie asks quietly. He nods quickly and glances at his phone screen. He needs an excuse to leave.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just realized I forgot that I have a paper due tonight, and I still need to give it another run-through before I can submit it. You know how those 11:59 p.m. deadlines are. You miss it by one second, and that dropbox closes.” He sounds insincere even to himself, but he doesn’t really care. “Can you get a ride with them, Katniss?”

 

She blinks at him for a few seconds before shrugging. “That’s okay. I’ll call Gale. I haven’t seen him for a while.”

 

Peeta nods sharply and hurries to his car. He’s barely inside before his eyes flood with tears.

 

\---

 

“Are you really going to call Gale?”

 

Katniss’ chin snaps upward, and she sets the last bit of her burger onto her plate. She swirls two fries in a puddle of ketchup and deliberately chews them before answering. “Yes.”

 

“Well, you are a bundle of cheer and sunshine, aren’t you?”

 

“Shut up, Finnick.” She glances down at the message flashing on her phone before grabbing a few bills from her pocket and throwing them on the table. “He’s here. I’ll see you back at the house.”

 

Annie sighs and snuggles into her boyfriend’s side as she watches her friend leave. “What if we made a mistake, Finn? What if trying to get those two together ends up backfiring?”

 

“Sweet Annie, when have you ever known me to have a bad idea?”

 

“Every single day,” she giggles as he smacks a kiss on her cheek.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go home and check on Peeta. He looked like he’d been kicked in the gut when he left.”

 

“Hearing the name Gale _is_ like being kicked in the gut for him.”

 

When they return to the three-bedroom house they share with Peeta and Katniss, the living room is dark except for the flicker of light on the ceiling from the television. Peeta sits slumped on the couch and stares listlessly at the wall. When they flip on the light, he startles and rubs his eyes quickly in an attempt to hide the redness there.

 

“Hey, guys,” he mumbles. He sounds miserable, and Annie squeezes Finnick’s hand in worry. “She didn’t come home with you, did she?”

 

“No. Gale picked her up. She said she’d be home later.”

 

“Well,” Peeta sighs. “Guess I’ll go to bed. It was fun to have her love me for one day.”

 

“Peeta—” Annie calls, but he cuts her off before she can get started.

 

“Don’t,” he snaps. “I’ll be fine. I just need to be alone right now. Make sure she gets home okay before you head to bed, alright?”

 

“Sure, Peet. Of course we will,” Finnick agrees. “Get some sleep, man.”

 

“You and I both know sleep isn’t going to cure this.”

 

As Peeta disappears down the hall, the couple exchanges worried looks. Unfortunately, they know their roommate is right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, my friends! Canadian Thanksgiving and other RL excitement led to some minor delays. That said, with any luck we will be able to post the final part to this story sooner rather than later.
> 
> Many thanks as always to my illustrious writing partner hutchabelle, who was an amazing help for this chapter. Thanks also to my sister/beta dealan for being a sounding board.
> 
> And of course, thanks to SC for letting us borrow her characters.

 

Finnick taps his fingers on the formica tabletop as he considers stealing _just one more_ sugar cube from the nearest booth. His contemplation, however, is interrupted when he sees his girlfriend tearing a paper napkin into tiny shreds.  “What’s put that frown on your face, darling?” he asks, his handsome face streaked with concern.

Annie sighs, her green eyes clouded with doubt and worry. “This study.”

“What about it?” he asks with a soft kiss to her temple. “I’m kind of enjoying it. If nothing else, it’s made me even more convinced that you’re the only woman for me.”

She gives him a withering look and shakes her head. “You didn’t need a study to know that. We’ve been in love since the beginning of time. No, I’m wondering if we made a mistake getting Katniss and Peeta involved.”

“You still worried about Peeta?”

Annie nods. “I thought doing this would help them realize how much they want each other, but it only seems to be making things worse. It’s been like watching soap opera at home for the past week. Katniss has been acting weird around him, and Peeta...well, you saw what happened after the whole Gale thing.”

Finnick wraps his arm around his girlfriend, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. “It’ll be okay. They’ve been avoiding their feelings for years, so they won't figure things out overnight. We just have to be there to make sure they don't hit bottom.” He looks up. “Speaking of which, look who’s here!”

Annie’s head snaps up to see their roommates walking to their table. She’s both relieved and confused to see the pair smiling and laughing like everything is normal.

“Finnick! Annie! Good to see you.” Peeta grins and holds out a chair for Katniss. “We were just saying how much we appreciate you signing us up for this study. Dr. Abernathy cracks me up. I swear that guy is drunk half the time, and the rest of the time he spends trying to get us to admit we’re not actually together.”

Katniss rolls her eyes. “Yeah. While we were in the waiting room we overheard him telling Dr. Trinket that I could ‘ _live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve that boy_.’ Jerk.”

“I told you, don’t listen to him. Anyway, so we may have concocted an elaborate tale to get him all riled up during our session. It was hilarious. You could tell he was dying to call it out as a lie, but his code of professional ethics was holding him back.”

“ _We_ concocted a story, you say,” Katniss drawls and swirls an imaginary mustache around her finger. “I can’t believe either of us would lie. My life is an open book.”

“Ha! So says the girl who had to run her version of the events by me _twelve_ _times_ before going into the interview room, just to make sure our stories were straight,” he says with a smirk.

“I had to make sure you would say that same thing when it was your turn to go in!”

“Still makes you a co-conspirator.”

“Okay, fine,” she concedes. “I’m a terrible person, a scourge to psychologists everywhere. Does that make you happy?”

Peeta tugs her against him and drops a kiss on the side of her head. “You’re not terrible, you’re perfection. No one could make me happier.”

Katniss’s can’t hide her smile, but she makes a show of pushing him away. “It’s okay, Peeta. We’re not in the sessions right now. You don’t have to pretend to like me.”

“What if I’m not pretending?” he teases.

Katniss doesn’t appear sure how to respond, so she just swats at his arm before standing up from the table. “Suit yourself, _sweetheart_. I'm going to go wash up. If the server arrives while I'm still in the restroom, can you order me a beer?”

“You got it, baby,” he replies with a wink. She sticks her tongue out in mock annoyance before walking away.

Like Annie, Finnick can't help but be baffled by the exchange that has just unfolded before them. It's weird enough to see Katniss openly flirting with Peeta. But Peeta...he's the real puzzle. Where is the guy who was moping in the dark only a few days ago?

Neither he nor Annie waste any time trying to get some answers. As soon as Katniss is out of earshot, he pounces. “Okay, Mellark. Spill.”

Peeta raises an eyebrow. “About what?”

“About this whole romance thing you’ve cooked up with Katniss.”

He leans back in his chair, seemingly unruffled by the comment. “Uh, I thought that was the point. Fake dating for beer money, isn't that what you said?”

“It certainly doesn't look like either of you were fake dating just then.”

“I don't get why you're suddenly so worried, Finn. Aside from some stupid pet names, what's so different about this from how Katniss and I usually are?”

“That's not what worries me. What worries me is all this will totally bite you in the ass if you’re not careful. You’re acting like it’s not killing you to play pretend-”

“It’s not,” Peeta protests.

“Really? Didn't seem that way when you were crying in your room last week.”

Neither of them miss the hurt that flashes in Peeta’s eyes. Annie steps in to try and soften the blow. “Finnick doesn't mean that. We’re just worried. We don't want this to hurt you and Katniss’ friendship in the long term.”

“If you’re so concerned, maybe you guys should have minded your own business and kept us out of this study in the first place,” Peeta snaps back.

Finnick flinches at the harshness in his friend’s voice. “Hey, relax, man. I'm sorry. I was out of line. And we know we threw you into this, okay? But don’t shut Annie and me out - we’re on your side.”

Peeta rubs the back of his neck, sighing. “Look, guys. I get where you're coming from. I'm not proud of the meltdown I had last week, but that was just, I dunno, a moment of weakness or something. Can we just forget about it? Because I swear it’s not going to happen again.”

Annie peers at her friend, still not convinced. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I'm all right. I promise. Besides, this whole pretend dating thing isn't as difficult to keep up as I thought it would be, now that we’re really in the middle of it. I mean, yeah, it’s a little awkward from time to time, but we’re actually having a lot of fun. So don't worry about me.” As he speaks, Peeta gives them a smile so warm that for a split second, Annie feels optimistic that everything will work out okay.

Then, disaster happens. Annie grabs Finnick’s thigh in a death grip, and he yelps at the pressure. Wordlessly, she nods to the door of the diner where Johanna’s just entered, followed closely by Gale. They watch, stunned, as their voices carry the dozen or so feet to their table.

“Thanks for holding the door for me, handsome. You come alone?” Johanna asks with a layer of sexual innuendo lingering just below the surface.

“Sorry. I’m meeting my girl— My friend,” Gale responds in his deep baritone. He motions toward their table, and Annie fights panic when she sees the look of recognition on the other woman’s face.

“Shit,” Finnick whispers, his tone urgent. “Johanna’s here, and Gale’s heading our way. Play it up, guys.”

Gale arrives at the table, reaching out to shake Finnick’s hand. “Hey, Finnick, Annie. Nice to see you.” He pauses. “Mellark. Catnip didn't say you were gonna be here, too.”

Peeta shrugs. “Well, you know us. We’re a package deal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he says, rising from his seat and drawing himself up to his full height. Although shorter than Gale, Peeta’s presence is no less commanding.

Annie looks nervously at the two men, convinced she’s about to witness some kind of alpha male staring contest. But then she notices that despite the glare Gale is shooting in Peeta’s direction, Peeta isn't actually looking at Gale at all. Following his line of sight, she realizes that Peeta’s attention is focused on Johanna...who has just spotted Katniss exiting the restroom.

“Excuse me,” Peeta says suddenly, pushing past Gale. He jogs up to Katniss, a broad smile on his face. “Hey, you’re back!” he exclaims.

“Wow, such a warm welcome. It's like I've been gone for hours,” she replies dryly.

“What, I'm not allowed to miss my girlfriend?”

Before she has a chance to respond, Peeta sweeps Katniss into his arms and kisses her, full on the mouth, right in the middle of the diner.

Annie nearly chokes on her water. _Oh my god, Katniss is going to kill him for this_. But she doesn't. In fact...wait...it kinda looks like...she’s kissing him back?

Finnick grins. “You get ‘em, tiger,” he cheers quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, he spies Johanna rolling her eyes at the pair as she exits the restaurant, takeout order in hand. But even after she’s left, he doesn’t step in - not just yet. Best to let Peeta have his moment.

It’s not until Finnick sees Johanna’s car pulling out of its parking spot that he finally speaks. “Okay, you guys, break it up,” he chuckles. “She’s gone. The coast is clear.”

Peeta abruptly breaks the kiss, panting heavily. “I'm so sorry,” he breathes, his apologies flooding out. “It was Johanna. She was here, and she was looking at us, and I know you've been worried about her not believing us, so-”

Katniss lifts her eyes. Still clearly in a daze, she absently touches at her swollen bottom lip. “No, it's...it's okay,” she assures him. “You...wow, that was....I mean, you did the right thing. I, um...I would have done the same.”

Annie swears she can see a light blush blooming on Katniss’ cheeks as the two stand there smiling shyly at one another. She surreptitiously raises her hand to high-five her boyfriend.

The moment doesn’t last long. “Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Gale seethes.

Only then does Katniss seem to register that he’s even there. “Gale!” she exclaims, stepping away from Peeta. “What- what are you doing here?”

“I thought I was meeting you for dinner, but instead I got treated to Mellark shoving his tongue down your throat,” he growls.

Peeta steps in, putting himself between Katniss and her childhood friend. “Hey, relax man. It’s not what it looks like.”

Gale shoots him a dark look. “You care to explain, then, Mellark?”

“Hey guys, why don’t you go and have a conversation….outside….” Annie suggests. She tips her head to alert the group to the stares they are getting from the diner’s other patrons.

Blushing furiously, Katniss takes each man by the elbow and escorts them toward the exit. “Come on,” she says quietly.

Finnick and Annie stay seated, but are unable to keep their gazes from following their friends out the door. They watch with interest as they try to follow the discussion - or argument, from the looks of it - that resumes on the the other side of the glass. Although their voices aren't audible, their body language speaks volumes.

“Did you see that coming?” Finnick asks. By this point he has resorted to stealing the entire bowl of sugar cubes from the next booth, and pops one into his mouth as he watches Katniss step in between her two best friends to shield Peeta from the barbs Gale appears to be throwing his way.

“Not at all,” Annie replies as she grabs a sugar cube of her own. They still can't hear anything, but if the wild hand gestures are any indicator, the conversation isn't going well. At all. “If only Gale hadn’t been there to ruin it.”

“Meh. It happens. But Katniss…”

“I know, right? Four years, and I’ve never seen her do that once. I don’t think she’s even kissed a guy the whole time she’s been here. Too busy studying or something.”

“Ha.” A thought comes to Finnick as they watch Gale stalk off in anger. “Do you think Peeta has any idea Katniss isn’t faking things nearly as much as she claims?”

“Doubtful. Look.” She points to Katniss, who appears to be doing a terrible job of comforting a guilty-looking Peeta. “How much you wanna bet he’s feeling like an asshole for ‘taking advantage’ of her?”

“How much do _you_ wanna bet that Katniss wishes Gale hadn’t shown up so they could just keep kissing?”

Annie laughs in spite of herself. “Hell will freeze over before she admits that to herself, much less anyone else.”

Finnick pulls Annie closer, planting another kiss into her hair as he watches Peeta pull Katniss into a hug. Although neither Katniss nor Peeta can see each other’s face, there’s no mistaking the confusion evident in her expression...nor the anguish present in his.

Finnick realizes that, at any moment, his friends will walk back into the diner, once again pretending that everything is fine. And for now, he and Annie are willing to play along. But he knows better. The tide is shifting - he can feel it.

He just hopes Katniss and Peeta figure things out before they get any messier.

 

\---

 

Peeta shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he watches Dr. Trinket scribble down some notes on her clipboard. They're now in the third week of the study, and up until this point he and Katniss have always been interviewed separately. Her absence from the interview room has been a blessing in disguise, sparing him the agony of having to sit two feet away from his best friend and pretend that she loves him as much as he loves her. Instead, he’s been able to share his thoughts more candidly, not worrying about scaring Katniss off by expressing the true depth of his feelings. The whole process has actually been rather therapeutic, and has helped to keep the pain of his unrequited feelings at bay.

Today, however, is a totally different story.

He casts a glance to his left, where Katniss sits looking just as uneasy as he does. He watches as she fiddles with the end of her braid, a sure sign of her nervousness. Peeta considers reaching for Katniss’ hand to reassure her, but stops short, unsure of her reaction. Despite her repeated  assurances to the contrary, he suspects she’s mad at him for playing up their fake romance in front of Gale. He doesn't exactly regret doing it - at the very least because Johanna would have busted them for sure if he hadn't - but ever since, things have been off. Although he hasn't dared kiss her again, they’ve had no trouble playing the affectionate couple in public, just in case they have another run-in with someone from the psych department. But when they're alone, she’s been cool, stilted...even distant.

Maybe Annie was right to be worried. All this acting is blurring the line between what's real and what isn't, and it's messing with their friendship.

Peeta turns away with a quiet sigh. He has no idea how to bridge the growing gap between him and Katniss - which is unfortunate, because for the next hour they have to play hard at being in love as they answer question after question. If these researchers are looking to test the strength of their relationship by interviewing them together, he’s not sure they're going to pass.

He’s saved from going down the rabbit hole any further when he hears Dr. Trinket - Effie, she insists on being called - clear her throat. “Ahem. Right, thank you both for your patience. Let’s move on to the next topic.” Effie adjusts her reading glasses as she scans her papers for the next question. “Ah, yes. So. How would you characterize the nature of your partner’s relationship with others in your social circle? We are looking to gauge is how supportive you and your partner are of outside friendships, particularly with those of the opposite sex. Additionally, we’d like to know how you think these friendships affect your relationship with one another.”

 _Fuck_.

Katniss doesn't miss a beat. “All our friends are fine with our relationship,” she says plainly.

Peeta can't stop himself from rolling his eyes. _How can she say that?_

Effie catches his reaction. “Peeta, pardon me for saying, but you don't look convinced.”

 _Shit_. He’s been caught.

Katniss turns to Peeta, her brow furrowed in question. “Why? Do you think there’s a problem?”

 _Of course I do_ , he screams silently. “No, no problems.”

 _Bullshit_ , her gaze seems to reply. Katniss turns back to the psychologist. “See? We're good.”

Unfortunately, Effie doesn't agree. Nor does she appear interested in letting the topic slide, especially now that she's discovered a potential chink in their relationship’s armor. “Is there a particular friend of Katniss' that comes to mind, Peeta?”

Peeta flushes, unsure of how to respond. All he knows is, whatever answer he gives will be the wrong one.

Katniss pipes up before he can speak, indignation lacing her voice. "What is this, an interview or couples counselling?"

Effie, however, is unfazed. “You did agree to speak frankly about your relationship with one another. No couple is perfect! A few little quibbles are bound to come up now and again. It's nothing to be ashamed of...that's why we are conducting this study in the first place.” Flipping through her notes, she directs her attention back to Peeta. “On your survey, you noted the presence of those that are less than supportive of your relationship. Can you please elaborate on this?”

Katniss snorts. "That's easy. His mom hates me."

Effie looks up from her paper. “Yes...he did note something to that effect in the survey as well. But the specific question I am referring to was about individuals in _your_ circle of family and friends, Katniss.”

Peeta gulps as he sees Katniss’ expression shift. _Here it comes._

“You mean, Gale?” she asks defensively.

“Who is Gale?” Effie asks with interest.

"He’s my friend from back home. We've known each other since we were kids, and he goes here now. But we're just friends,” Katniss adds emphatically.

Peeta’s jaw clenches at the condescension in her response. “It wouldn't be like that if _he_ had anything to say about it,” he mutters quietly

Katniss turns back to him, incredulous. “What are you talking about?” Her eyes widen with confusion...and worry. Her voice drops to a near-whisper. “Is this about what happened at the diner, again? I told you not to worry about it.”

"What happened at the diner?” Effie interjects, her eyes dancing with curiosity.

“Nothing,” Katniss says quickly. “Anyway-”

“He hates me,” Peeta blurts out before he can stop himself.

Katniss whips her gaze back to him. “What? No! He does not.”

Peeta huffs, his agitation growing. “Oh come on, Katniss. He hates what we have! It's like he can't get over the fact that you’ve managed to survive without him around, much less be with someone like me.”

“You’re being unfair,” she protests.

“Am I really?” he asks. “Any time he’s around, he basically ignores me. All he wants to do is relive the glory days of high school with you.”

“He just feels awkward because he's had to catch up to us,” Katniss explains. “We've had time to develop all these different inside jokes with Finn and Annie, and he feels left out. You know it can't be easy for him, being a year behind us even though he graduated a year ahead. Besides, it's not his fault he had to defer college until he could afford to go, Peeta. You just don't understand his situation like I do.”

Peeta shakes his head, unable to hide his frustration any longer. He can't believe Katniss is bringing this up. “Not understand? You know I wouldn't have been able to go here if I didn't have my wrestling scholarship.”

“Only because your mom is too stingy to help you with your tuition!” Katniss snaps.

“Don't make this about money,” he counters. The tension between them is buzzing, but there's no going back now. “This is about how he looks at you when you're not paying attention. He's in love with you, and you don't even realize it.”

“You can't possibly know that based on a look,” she argues heatedly. “A bit of a stretch, don't you think?”

“Oh, I _know_ ,” he bites back. “It’s obvious to everyone. _You're_ the one who refuses to see it.”

“There's nothing to see!” Katniss insists, hands flying into the air. “I mean, what honestly makes you think he--”

“BECAUSE HE LOOKS AT YOU THE SAME WAY THAT I ALWAYS HAVE!” Peeta explodes.

The confession seems to ring in the air as the two stand, seemingly frozen in shock. They gape at one another, their eyes asking the same thing in silent question: _What the hell just happened?_

An awkward cough interrupts their standoff. "Okay! I think we've covered more than enough for today, so why don't we pick this up again next week when we discuss support strategies?" Effie says as she gathers up her things. The pair stand mutely as the researcher hastily departs from the room.

Mortification quickly sets in. For once, Peeta remains at a loss for words, wishing that he could take back everything he's said in the past five minutes. _Too late, you moron. You've ruined everything._

Katniss smiles weakly, and for a moment hope flickers in his chest that he hasn't screwed things up after all.

“Wow,” she says a little too brightly. “You, um, laid it pretty thick for our first couple's fight. I, um...I almost believed it was real. Good job.”

Peeta deflates at her words. Of course she doesn’t realize what he said was real. She still thinks it’s all part of a show to make their relationship more believable. But if Katniss means to reassure him with her positive view of his outburst, the effect is exactly the opposite. Dread, not relief, courses through him as he faces yet another stark reminder that this is all pretend for her. It’s not real. _Not real_.

Peeta suddenly feels the walls closing in on him, and he knows he has to get out of there before he falls apart. “I can't...I can't do this anymore,” he croaks. He grabs his things, deliberately avoiding her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

He stumbles out of the room before Katniss has a chance to ask what's going on.

 

\---

 

Katniss quietly stews at her seat as the #74 bus makes its way down Seam Boulevard. She can’t go home - even if Peeta isn't there, Finnick and Annie will be, and she doesn't want to face them. She’s still reeling from what happened in that interview room, and she won’t be able to process anything with them bombarding her with questions.

Besides, she needs answers. And since she's not ready to talk to Peeta, the most logical person to approach is the same one they ended up fighting about. Gale.

Because he can be the one to confirm that she's right...right? Not that she wants to belabor the issue, but she feels this compulsive need to prove Peeta wrong - that there's no problem, that the two most important men in her world can peacefully coexist, because there aren't any messy feelings to contend with...from either of them.

Right?

But the more she thinks about it, the more she worries there might be a grain of truth to Peeta's words. After all, even Katniss has to admit to herself that Gale and Peeta aren’t exactly friends. She could blame it on Gale’s naturally introverted personality, but that would be a lie, considering that he gets along with Finnick and Annie just fine. And although Katniss won't go so far as to say that she's consciously worked to keep her friendship with Peeta separate from her friendship with Gale, she hasn't really gone out of her way to create opportunities to bring Gale into the fold.

An unpleasant feeling settles into Katniss’ gut, but she pushes it down along with everything else as she tries to rationalize her way out of the situation. Yeah, okay. So they don’t mesh. That’s hardly uncommon among disparate friend groups. But for Peeta to say Gale hates him seems a bit much...and to say that Gale is jealous of their friendship? That Gale dislikes Peeta because he’s in _love_ with her? That's just stupid.

What bothers her most, though, isn't the accusation that she's been blind to Gale's affections. What bothers her most is what Peeta said in that interview room.

_“Because he looks at you the same way that I always have!”_

What did he mean by _always_?

The ding of the stop request bell shakes Katniss from her reverie, and she looks up to notice that the bus passed Gale’s place two stops ago. _Dammit_. She jumps up from her seat and heads for the exit doors, cursing herself for losing track of time.

The extra minutes spent walking from the bus stop to Gale’s apartment do little to calm Katniss’ frayed nerves. Peeta’s words chorus through her head over and over again, and by the time she reaches Gale’s suite, she’s a jumbled mess of confusion and anger.

Katniss bangs at Gale’s door, suddenly regretting not bothering to text him to say she was coming over. Thankfully, she hears a muffled “Coming!” from the other side. A few moments later, her friend opens the door, a surprised but pleased look crossing his face.

“Catnip!” Gale says. “Wasn’t expecting a visit from you until the weekend. I thought you said you had some appointment on campus today.”

Katniss heaves a sigh. “Yeah. That’s why I’m here.”

Gale quirks a brow at her. “Is that so? Well, come on in,” he replies, stepping back to allow Katniss to enter his home.

Katniss makes a beeline for the living area, plopping down unceremoniously on the worn loveseat.

“So you know how Peeta and I have been faking dating for that romantic couples study I told you about?”

Gale makes a face. “What, trouble in paradise? Told you, you should have picked me instead.”

“And I told _you_ , I wasn't the one who signed up. Blame Finnick and Annie for that one,” she retorts.

“Whatever, I don't care,” Gale huffs. He takes a seat next to her. “So what's the problem?”

Katniss starts to explain, but the words get stuck in her throat. How can she explain what happened when she can barely understand it herself? She decides to skip to the heart of the issue. “You don't like me, right?”

“What?”

“Like, you're not in love with me.”

“Why are you asking me this?”

“Well, Peeta said-”

Gale groans at the sound of Peeta’s name. “Oh really, what did Mellark have to say this time?”

“This time? What do you mean by that?”

“The guy hates me, Katniss. He's jealous of us or something.”

Katniss rolls her eyes. “Funny, he said the same thing about you.”

“Well, it's true. He hates that I knew you before he did, that you were my friend before he was.”

“It’s not a competition, Gale,” she says exasperatedly.

“Yeah?” he challenges. “Then why did he decide to make out with you in front of me?”

Katniss flushes at the memory. She’s been trying not to think about that kiss - trying, and failing.

“I told you,” she protests weakly. “That was all for show.”

“Well, you’ve never kissed me like that.”

“I’ve never kissed you, ever,” Katniss points out.

Gale scoots closer, leaning in. “Well, maybe we should do something about that.”

Before she can get another word in, Gale’s lips descend upon hers. It’s a strange feeling, and for a split second she wonders if this is the way things are actually supposed to be. On the surface, it would make sense - they’ve known each other forever. They’ve been partners in crime for their entire childhoods. It wouldn’t surprise anyone.

But it feels all wrong. Gale’s lips are rough and chapped, and press rather than slide against her own. His embrace is too unyielding, too possessive - like he’s demanding consent instead of asking for it. Not even the scent of oranges emanating from him helps her to live in the moment; instead, she finds herself craving something softer. Something, she realizes, more like Peeta.

Katniss gasps at the revelation - unfortunate, as Gale sees it as an opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. But even as Gale continues to kiss her, there’s no stopping the flood of memories of her kiss with Peeta. The way his smooth, warm mouth molded to hers. The way he gently flicked her lips with his tongue, asking for an invitation. The scent of cinnamon and dill. The way he cradled her in his arms, like he never wanted to let her go.

The way she didn’t want it to stop, even if it was all for show.

Finally regaining her senses, Katniss pushes Gale away. “What was that for?” she demands, her chest heaving.

“I had to do that. Just once.”

“What, so that you and Peeta could be even?” she accuses.

“That’s not what I meant. But-”

“But what, Gale?” she shouts angrily.

“I had to try. I’m not going to stand here and do nothing while Mellark gets to show you off like you’re his when you're supposed to be mine. ‘Cause I don’t stand a chance if you’re out there kissing him when you should be kissing me!”

Katniss reels back at Gale’s outburst. “Oh my god. Peeta was right,” she mutters to herself. She jumps up from the loveseat. “I have to go.”

Gale reaches for her arm. “Katniss, wait-”

She whips around to face him, her gaze steely. “You’re jealous of a romance that doesn’t even exist, and instead of talking to me, you’re turning it into a fucking competition. I’m not some prize to be won, okay?”

“I know that! But-”

Katniss doesn’t stay to hear the rest. She slams the door closed as she runs out of his apartment.

As she exits the building, Katniss takes a deep breath of the crisp, October air. The sun is already starting to set, but it's still light enough for her to walk home without too much worry. It’s a good thing, too; if not for the fact that she can make the trip with her eyes closed, she is so distracted by the thoughts and emotions swirling within her that she would probably run into a wall.

After a few blocks, she gets out her phone and calls the one person who can truly make her feel better at a moment like this.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Prim.”

“Hey, big sis! Wait, are you okay?” Prim asks. “You sound kind of funny, like you've got the sniffles or something.”

The breeze picks up, and Katniss feels a cold sensation brush across her cheeks. They’re wet, she realizes. She must have started crying at some point during the walk home. “I think I lost my two best friends today,” she tells her sister.

“Oh, no,” Prim laments. “Okay, start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

Prim listens quietly as Katniss’ words pour out. About the study. About the kiss in the diner. About the fake argument they had in the interview room, and Peeta’s abrupt exit. About her talk with Gale, and the kiss that turned into a fight.

“Katniss,” Prim says gently. “If I ask you a question, do you promise not to get mad?”

“Um...okay.”

“I guess what I'm wondering is...what's really upsetting you? You seem to be annoyed at Gale for the whole kiss thing - which, by the way, is totally deserved - but why are you so upset at Peeta? I thought you said that whole fight was pretend.”

“It was - it is!” Katniss says with a groan. “Ugh, It's this study. I was afraid things were going to get weird, and I was right.”

“What do you mean?”

“It's like...I don't know,” Katniss says, struggling to put her thoughts into words. “To be honest, most of the time it really hasn’t been all that different - it's all smiles and hugs and the same stuff he always does. But sometimes it feels a little too perfect, and I have to remind myself that we’re pretending so I don't get too caught up in it, you know? Because it's Peeta, and I know he doesn't think of me that way. I mean, you should have seen it after he kissed me...he was actually apologizing.”

“Well, that’s certainly a step up from how Gale handled things, right?”

"That’s not my point!” Katniss whines. “The point is that things have been getting more and more awkward, especially since that kiss. It's been easy enough to pretend when we're in public, but when it's just us...I can't stop thinking about it, and I shouldn't. And I'm terrified he'll realize that I'm thinking about it, so I try to play it cool -”

“And by cool, you mean avoid him like the plague-”

“How did you know that?”

“It's your MO. Remember Darius? Your junior year?”

“Shut up.”

Prim laughs, lightening the mood somewhat. “Okay, go on. So what does all of this have to do with what happened today?”

“Well, for the past few days we haven't been talking as much, so we didn't really have a plan going into the interview room. Which was stupid of us, because today they decided to switch things up and interview us together.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yeah. So when we had that fight...I mean, I know he was just, you know, playing up some drama to make our relationship seem more believable, so I played along. But at a certain point it felt like the fight was real. We were arguing about real people, real problems. And then, when he just ran out of the room...it was like he suddenly couldn’t bear to breathe the same air as me. No explanation, he just said he couldn’t do this anymore. It really...I dunno, it bothered me.”

Prim hums sympathetically as she listens to her sister. “Katniss,” she says carefully, “did it ever cross your mind that maybe he wasn't actually pretending at all?”

“With our fight?” Katniss asks.

“No, with all of it.”

Katniss stops short. _That’s not possible. Is it?_

Prim takes her silence as a signal to continue. “I mean, look. I've only met Peeta a few times, but it's pretty clear that he adores you. He looks at you like you hung the moon.”

Her sister’s words are like an echo. Immediately, Katniss thinks back to what Peeta had said in the interview room. “ _Because he looks at you the same way that I always have….”_

“Katniss...are you still there?”

Prim’s voice shakes her from her thoughts. She looks up and finds that she’s managed to steer herself back home.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Katniss says, opting to sit on the front stoop instead of heading inside. “How come you’re only telling me this now?”

“I didn't think I had to. I figured you knew.”

“No,” she says softly. “I didn't. I mean, you’re wrong. He doesn’t,” she adds, a bit more firmly.

“I don’t know about tha- wait. Katniss, do you _like_ Peeta?”

“What? No!” Katniss exclaims, looking around to make sure no one is within earshot. She lowers her voice just in case. “I mean, I've always found him attractive...but he's never said anything to me to hint that he's interested in me like that.”

Katniss can practically hear her sister’s smirk. “Neither did Gale, and look what happened there.”

“Exactly. I don't want that to happen with Peeta. I lov- I care about our friendship too much to want to jeopardize what we have. I don't want to lose him, you know?”

“Who says you’ll lose him?”

“What difference does it make? This is _Peeta_ we’re talking about. He doesn’t feel that way about me. He can’t.”

“Why are you so determined to convince yourself he doesn’t have feelings for you?”

Katniss surprises herself with her response. “Because I don’t want to get hurt, okay?” she blurts. “Because there’s no point in me dwelling on the tiny possibility that he could love me back. I’m not going to nitpick over every adorable boyfriend-y thing he does and wish that it was the real thing, because when this is all over, he’s going to forget about it and eventually end up with some perfect blonde who is charming and outgoing and all the things I’m not.”

Silence stretches between the two sisters for a minute. Finally, Prim speaks. “Katniss, I love you. But you’re kind of being an idiot.”

Katniss squeaks in protest, but Prim cuts her off. “You’re so determined not to get hurt that you are actively pretending that you’re not in love with your best friend, but you’re upset about him anyway. And what’s worse, I bet that Peeta – who is legit head-over-heels for you, don’t try to tell me otherwise – is probably hurting too, because he’s just spent the past three weeks in a pretend relationship with you when he really wants it to be real.” She sighs. “I know it’s scary, but you need to talk to him. Take a chance. You deserve more than just pretend. You deserve something real.”

Katniss allows herself the briefest of moments to imagine what _something real_ might be like. Her heart clenches at the thought of waking up next to him every morning. Of children. Of growing old together. Of a life that she’s never, ever considered for herself - not when a decade of struggle has hardened her, rendering it impossible to focus on anything but the needs of her family.

“That’s just the problem.” Her words at nearly at a whisper. “It’s not about what I deserve. It’s Peeta who deserves better.”

The porch light suddenly clicks on, and Katniss jumps. Quickly, she brushes the tears from her face as the front door creaks open behind her.

She swivels around to see Peeta standing in the doorway. Her breath catches as she takes him in; despite his disheveled state, he looks beautiful. The light from the porch lamp illuminates his messy blond curls like a halo.

“Katniss?” he asks. His voice is tinged with confusion.

Katniss doesn’t take her eyes off Peeta for a second. She lifts the phone back to her ear.

“Hey, Prim? Let me call you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback always welcome! We're deinde-prandium and hutchhitched on tumblr. Come by and say hello. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy December! The end of the semester means the end of The Study, and it has been a joy and privilege to share this story with you. My co-author and I finished reworking what we’ve dubbed the “smut-o-rama” chapter last night in the wee hours of the morning, and I’m more than a little melancholy this project is at an end. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. Thank you for choosing me for my smut and angst, @deinde-prandium. It’s been an honor

“What are you doing out here?” His words are slurred and laced with a hint of…something. She wonders if the waver in his voice is actual confusion or something slightly more ominous.

 

She stands and turns to face him, grimacing as she realizes how cold her ass is from sitting on the chilled concrete while she talked to her sister. Peeta flinches at her facial expression, and she reaches out to him instinctively.

 

“I—I was talking to Prim. I wanted to fill her in on how things are going here,” she blurts in a rush of words that are only half-true. “She didn’t…I mean, I wanted to explain the study in case she heard about it…”

 

His eyes shutter, and he steps backward into the house. “Yeah, okay. Whatever, Katniss. Stay out there if you want, but it’s cold. I’ll go hide in my room so you can have some privacy.”

 

“Wait! Peeta!” she cries as a sinking sensation floods her. She feels like she’s losing him just as she’s starting to see what could actually be. “You don’t have to hide. You’re my best friend. You know I want to spend time with you.”

 

“Well, come on in, then,” he snarls. “I’ve got a bottle in here with my name on it. You can help me finish it.”

 

He steps backward and holds the door open for her with an insidious over-exaggerated politeness. Irritation rolls off him in waves. As she enters the house, her eyes bug open when faced with the mess on the coffee table. A few empty beer bottles are interspersed with a half-empty bottle of tequila. A few spills of liquid dot the table, and it’s clear he’s been drinking for a while.

 

“Tequila, huh? Good choice,” she says warily. She can’t remember the last time she saw him this trashed, and there are too many important things to say to him that could be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misspoken under the influence of liquor.

 

“Well, you know. I tend to make shitty choices anyway. What’s one more?” His voice cracks on the question, and a fissure of sadness rips through her.

 

“You had the good sense to choose me as a best friend,” she offers quietly. Her attempt to cajole him into a better mood fails miserably. Scowling, he grabs the bottle and pours himself another drink before tossing it back. He waves the empty glass and points at her.

 

“That worked out well, didn’t it? Faking a relationship for money and fighting over bullshit. Best. Friends. For. Ever.” He clips each word so sharply she’s surprised they don’t cut her.

 

She takes a shuddering breath and perches on the edge of the couch. She pats the cushion next to her and argues, “Best friends isn’t the worst thing in the world, is it? You’ve been the best part of my life for a long time.”

 

Glassy eyes observe her, and she wonders briefly if it’s emotion or apathy that makes them shine. The fight leaves him, and he slumps onto the other end of the sofa and stares at the wall in obvious misery.

 

“No, it hasn’t been bad,” he admits. “It just…”

 

His voice trails into oblivion, and she takes a moment to really look at him. His hair is disheveled the way it normally looks when he wakes up in the morning. Since it’s early evening, it’s clear he’s been tugging at it like he always does when he’s frustrated. His shoulders are slumped in defeat, and his pale blue t-shirt scrunches into a soft pool of cotton just above the jeans that hang low on his hips. His feet are bare, and he scrunches his toes under the way he does when he’s trying not to repress hopefulness of something he desperately wants. She’s amazed at how much she’s learned about him over the past few years. She didn’t even realize she’d been paying attention.

 

“How about a game?” she suggests. That isn’t how they usually communicate with each other, but she’s almost desperate to make sure she doesn’t screw this up so badly she’ll lose the person she cares about most in the world besides Prim. He’s too drunk to have his normal eloquence with words, and she’s so bad at expressing herself that she’s willing to try anything. He glances at her from underneath his blonde lashes. She’s disturbed that he cringes as if he’s afraid she’s going to hurt him.

 

“What kind of game?” he asks, his cautious tone a dagger to her heart. She picks up the tequila bottle and twists it in her hands.

 

“How about a drinking game? You’ve got a good start on me anyway. I bet you’ll win.”

 

He shrugs and holds out his glass. “Might as well. What are the rules?”

 

“I ask you a question. You have to answer ‘real’ or ‘not real’. If the answer is real, I have to take a drink.”

 

“So, a drinking version of truth or dare but with truth as the only option.”

 

“Sure,” she agrees and blows the dust out of the bottom of an empty shot glass on the table.

 

“Fine. Ask away. I have no pride left anyway.”

 

Katniss swirls her drink while deciding how to start. Maybe one word answers will be simple enough for both of them to answer and provide some insight into what he’s thinking. With any luck, he’ll figure out what she’s trying to say without her having to articulate it. That’s usually how it works between them anyway. After several moments of thought, she finally settles on a question she knows he’ll answer honestly.

 

“You don’t trust Gale. Real or not real?”

 

He glowers at the far side of the room and spits, “Real. I don’t trust him around you, and I don’t particularly like him either.”

 

“Fair enough.” The shot burns down her throat, and she gasps at the heat.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“That’s not the right type of question. Try again.”

 

“Answer me, dammit!” he snaps, and she recoils from his burst of anger and narrows her eyes. She expected him to be upset, but this is more than mere annoyance.

 

“I, uh, went to see him this afternoon. That’s where I was before you found me on the porch.” His eyes narrow and rage colors his features. She wonders for a second if he’s capable of murder.

 

“I see,” he says coldly.

 

“I wanted to talk to him about you, about us, and he…well, he, uh, kissed me.” When Peeta’s blue eyes blaze with hatred, she rushes to explain, “I pushed him away. I didn’t want him to, Peeta. I didn’t know he was going to. You’ve been right about him all along.”

 

“He’s such an asshole!” he fumes, and she rushes to reassure him.

 

“It was the only time!” she snaps defensively. “He’s never kissed me before, and he won’t be doing it again. I can promise you that.”

 

He won’t look at her for several moments. His knuckles are white as he grasps his glass, and she’s concerned he’s going to crush it if he doesn’t loosen his grip. She wisely stays quiet, but it’s killing her that he’s so upset about something he only imagines happened. Finally, he rubs a hand over his face and huffs. A few more beats pass before he asks his first question.

 

“You regret signing up for the study. No amount of money is worth going through this with me. Real or not real?”

 

“Not real, Peeta. Not real at all.”

 

He frowns into his glass and shifts uncomfortably. It’s clear he wants to follow this line of questioning, but he doesn’t push.

 

“You signed up for the study because you thought it would help me. Real or not real?”

 

He huffs but admits, “Real. I know how hard you work, and I figured the $200 could make things a little bit easier for you. When Finn asked, I knew I wouldn’t say no if you agreed.”

 

She downs another shot and waits for him to ask his second question.

 

“You’d rather be answering questions about a fake relationship with Gale than me. Real or not real?”

 

“Not real.”

 

“You’d rather be in a real relationship with Gale than in a fake one with me?”

 

The hurt in this voice ripples from him, and she chides, “It’s not your turn yet. Hold on to that one. First, I should know whether it’s real or not real that your mother thinks any other woman would be a good replacement for me in your life.”

 

“What kind of a bullshit question is that?” His murderous expression almost amuses her since she’s been pushing for an honest reaction.

 

“I wasn’t joking when I brought that up in our session.”

 

“My mother’s snotty enough to think that’s real. She’s wrong, but she’s convinced. That doesn’t mean I agree with her.”

 

“Three shots. This game is going well.” Her lips tingle a tiny bit, and she wonders how many more rounds it will take before her inhibitions are gone. She needs to let down all her walls before she’ll have enough courage to ask what she really wants.

 

“You’d rather be in a real relationship with Gale than in a fake one with me?” he repeats and holds his breath.

 

“Nope! Not real, Peeta. You’re never going to get to take a drink if you keep asking me that kind of stuff.” She celebrates internally as he fights to keep his face blank. A rogue smile threatens to disrupt his steady frown.

 

“Your turn, then.”

 

“You’re scared you’ll lose me. Real or not real?”

 

He hesitates but concedes, “Real. I can’t imagine my college experience without you. You’ve been there every step of the way.”

 

“Good thing I wasn’t drinking the entire time. I would have fallen down. You know, with the steps.” She’s punchy from the tequila, and she calculates she needs only a few more questions and shots before she’s ready to drop the bomb.

 

“Our friendship is in trouble. Real or not real?” He won’t look at her when he asks, which indicates he’s afraid of the answer.

 

“Not even remotely real. You’re my best friend. That’s not changing. You’re upset now because you aren’t sure how I feel about you?”

 

He freezes, and she sucks in a breath. The words hang in the air between them, and she offers a silent prayer that he’ll be honest with her. He’s sobered up considerably since they started playing.

 

“Real.”

 

She stares at him until he glances at her. When he does, she licks the lip of her cup and sucks down the alcohol. Her cheeks are numb, and a delightful warmth has spread from her torso to her gut and between her legs. He gulps, and for the first time, she sees what Prim explained to her on the phone.

 

“Was that really the only time you kissed Gale?” He asks so tentatively she doesn’t have the heart to remind him that they’re playing a game. She nods, and he hisses out a relieved sigh before downing a shot.

 

“Try again,” she urges.

 

“I’m good enough for a friend, but you’d be embarrassed of me if we were something more. Real or not real?”

 

“You are terrible at this game. Either you haven’t been paying attention, or you’ve had way too much to drink.” Her head spins a little as she drinks again. “You think about the kiss in the diner every single day—just like I do. Real or not real?”

 

“Real,” he whispers. “Because you wish it had never happened...”

 

“Not real,” Katniss insists.

 

She’s rewarded with a lustful look. “Take your drink,” Peeta demands, staring at her with hooded eyes. “I won’t answer any more questions until you do.”

 

She lifts her glass to drink and tries not to smirk when his eyes flit to her mouth. Some liquid drips down her chin, and she catches it with her tongue. He can’t tear his gaze away from her when she leans toward him. His pulse point throbs as she sways, and she decides she might as well go for it.

 

“You want me. Real or not real?”

 

He answers with his actions instead of words. His pupils fatten, and he raises his glass to his lips. He swallows his drink and drops the tumbler on the table without breaking their gaze. She trembles at the molten expression on his face, and he pounces.

 

His mouth is warm and assertive as his tongue thrusts against hers. The tang of alcohol tastes bitter in her mouth, but his body pressing hers into the cushions is delicious. Her limbs are heavy, and she moans in response to his weight on her.

 

“Katniss,” he gasps and bites a path down her neck to her collarbone. “Katniss, is this real? This isn’t a dream?”

 

“It’s real. It’s so real.”

 

He shifts on top of her, and she gasps as his erection presses into her center. He rocks into her, and she whimpers and claws at his back. His hands fumble at her zipper, and she slips hers into the back of his jeans and grips his ass.

 

“Kat— Tell me to stop now if you don’t want this.”

 

“Don’t stop. I don’t want you to stop,” she begs and digs her fingernails into his skin. He grunts and shimmies out of his pants before ripping hers down to her ankles and nudging her open.

 

“I need a condom,” he breathes, but she tugs him closer and shakes her head.

 

“Pill. I know you’re safe. Now,” she insists.

 

“Oh, fuck,” he hisses and snaps his hips forward.

 

She cries his name as he enters her. He’s big and so hard and frantic as he presses her legs to the side and slams into her. He sets a bruising pace, and her head whirls from the heat between them, the alcohol, and the rapid change in their relationship. She’s not completely sure how things are going to work between them, but she’s positive she wants him inside her, jerking and grunting and babbling her name.

 

“Real, real, real,” she chants and hangs on as he pounds into her.

 

He grabs at her breasts and waist as he rains sloppy, open-mouthed kisses across her face and neck. She’s partially numb, but she’s so turned on she’s sure her blood’s on fire. Colors burst behind her eyes as his voice rises in volume until he shouts and tenses. A moan rips from his chest, and he shudders and quakes as he empties into her. She clenches around him, and he slips his hand between them to rub her clit until she squeals.

 

“Come on, Kat. Come on,” he begs. He presses his thumb against her bud, and she arches and shakes against him.

 

Gradually, she registers his weight on top of her and his ragged breathing. He’s still inside her, and she becomes acutely aware that they’re still half-clothed in spite of what they’ve just done. Apprehension fills her as silence stretches between them. Suddenly, she wonders if they’ve made a huge mistake, that they acted at the behest of alcohol and not their true feelings for each other.

 

“Holy hell,” he curses. Shifting to his left, he eases out of her but won’t meet her eyes. Instead, his attention is riveted to where they were joined, and his blue eyes flood with wonder. He licks his lips and tugs his t-shirt off and uses it to clean her before the fluid that leaks from her can stain the couch.

 

“We just fucked,” he whispers. “Real or not real?”

 

She swallows hard when he meets her eyes.

 

“Real,” she affirms. “Give me another shot.”

 

—

 

Peeta glances down at the soiled t-shirt he holds and releases a shaky, gut-wrenching breath. Wet smears discolor the cotton, and his cock twitches when he realizes it’s a mixture of his and her orgasms captured in a very real, very tangible way.

 

“We just fucked,” he mumbles. “What the hell is happening?”

 

Katniss stiffens next to him and blushes. She shoves against him so that he lands in a heap on the floor. He releases a grunt and watches in confusion as she scrambles to find her shirt and hold it in front of her to shield her naked form.

 

“Th-this was a mistake. Dammit, I shouldn’t have done this. What was I thinking?” she stammers and struggles to sit upright. She’s clearly still under the influence, as is he if the swirling in his head is any indication.

 

“Katniss.” She flails desperately for another few moments until he reaches for her hand and grabs it firmly in his. “Katniss, stop.”

 

Jerking away, she bolts from the couch but lands in a heap on top of him since her feet are caught in the jeans tangled around her feet.

 

“Katniss, calm down,” he orders when she thrashes and smacks him on his jaw. “Shit, that hurt! Will you STOP IT?”

 

He realizes he’s scared her when she freezes. He also realizes he’s unclothed and skin to skin with his naked best friend who’s been the fantasy of every erotic thought he’s entertained for the past few years. Her breasts are perfect as they jiggle on her heaving chest. Her soft skin shines against the pink of his thighs, and her mouth is swollen and cheeks flushed.

 

“You are so beautiful,” he murmurs and cups her chin. He leans in slowly and presses his lips gently against hers. Nothing has ever felt as heavenly as it does when her mouth opens under his pressure. Despite his muddled thoughts, it hits him that she’s kissing him back, and it’s incredible.

 

His hands stroke down her back before curling around to palm her breasts. When she kisses him harder, he squeezes her and then thumbs her nipples until she releases a sigh in the back of her throat. She shifts and the curve of her ass rubs against his groin. Blood rushes to his dick, and he grunts at the welcome pressure.

 

"Katniss,” he begs, “slow down, sweetheart. Let me catch my breath.”

 

She breaks away, her eyes wide and unfocused. Her tongue runs over her lips, and it’s the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. Until...

 

“Oh, holy fuck.”

 

He watches in disbelief as she grabs the bottle of tequila and takes another swig. She tips it back too far and some of the liquid slides down her chin to drip down her chest. It’s as if it’s honey and she’s a bee because he can’t stop himself from dipping his head and licking the trail. When she whimpers, he realizes he doesn’t want this to end—and that they’re naked in the living room of an apartment they share with two other people who could walk in at any moment.

 

“Katniss, we need to move. Bedroom. You feel so good.”

 

“I need more,” she hisses and tilts her head back to take another long drink.

 

He can’t stop touching her, and he inhales sharply when she drops her head to suck his finger into her mouth. She’s breathtaking, and they’re still lying on the floor of the living room. With as much coordination as he can muster, he slides out from under her and stands. Pulling her up with him, he grabs their discarded clothing and tugs her down the hall to his bedroom. He pulls the door shut and grunts when she rounds on him and presses him into the wall. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he holds her tightly against him.

 

“Katniss?”

 

“Hmmmm? What’s up?”

 

He tries to speak, but the feel of her against him is too much. He wants to make sure she knows what she’s doing, and the amount of alcohol they’ve both consumed makes that questionable. After a searing kiss that causes his heart to thump, she backs away from him. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply to ground himself. When he opens them again, he releases a strangled moan.

 

She sprawls on his rust brown sheets, her legs splayed and olive skin glowing. She stares at him with darkened eyes, and he unconsciously rubs himself at the thought of burying himself inside her again. Since he drank so much before she got home, he’s going to need more time to harden.

 

“So beautiful,” he hisses and perches next to her on the mattress. He trails his fingers up the inside of her right leg from her knee to her thigh and smiles at her sharp intake of breath. She doesn’t stop him when he inches closer to her core, so he dips inside his finger to stroke her slit.

 

“Peeta,” she gasps. Her voice is barely audible over the pounding of blood in his ears, but he craves the sound of it again.

 

“Say it again,” he begs and shifts so he’s lying next to her. He rubs and fondles, and she keens and moans at each stroke. “Say it again.”

 

“Peeta,” she groans. “Peeta, Peeta, Peeta…”

 

He buries his face in the crook of her neck and breathes in her scent while pumping and curling his fingers between her legs. Her responses to his ministrations are wanton and sensual, and it hits him that he’s as turned on, not only by how much she enjoys what he’s doing, but that she’s let down her walls enough to share her pleasure as loudly as she is. She’s usually much more reserved.

 

She arches under him and shivers as her body tightens and then sighs and relaxes to snuggle against him. He traces her collarbone with this tongue and slides down her taut stomach to settle between her legs. He surveys her with reverence. She’s so sexy she makes his stomach clench. He nudges her with his nose and breathes in her musky scent. With a groan, he tastes her and falls off the edge of the world.

 

She’s sweet and tart and so incredibly wet. He nuzzles into her and revels in the moisture that smears across his face. He probes her with his tongue and marvels at the feel of her rubbing against him. His tastes buds burn as she covers him.

 

She’s gone silent other than rasping breaths that puff unevenly from her. Her eyes are closed, and the expression on her face would bring him to his knees if he was standing. He can’t believe how much has changed in the past hour. The pain he tried to cover up with copious amounts of alcohol has given way to a fragile happiness that makes him dare to hope that what they’re doing together will be the first of innumerable couplings.

 

He slants his head and flicks his tongue against her clit. She arches under him and sobs. She shakes and collapses in on herself. Her shoulders hunch, and she claps her legs together around his head. He lifts her hips and sucks hard until she pulses under him.

 

“Don’t stop; don’t stop; don’t stop,” she begs and bucks against his face. “Oh my god; oh my god; oh my god…”

 

He pries her legs apart and uses his fingers to spread her lips open. He lays the flat of his tongue against her, and she screams. Desperate to keep pleasing her, he slips his finger into her and is rewarded with a spurt and a shriek so loud it catches in her throat.

 

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” she squeals, but her face is a mask of pained pleasure.

 

He blinks and then realizes, s _he just squirted. I just made Katniss come so hard she squirted. Sweet Jesus._

He groans and tears his face from her. He’s so hard now, he throbs. He needs to be inside her again, but he’s not sure she’s in any condition for that to happen again. Thankfully, she tugs him upward by his curls and gives him sloppy kisses that smear her across both their faces. She closes her legs around his hips and draws him toward her again. Peeta lines himself up, slips into her, and stills. Her walls flutter from the after-effects of an orgasm, and it makes him want to stay buried in her forever.

 

He rolls them over and leans back on the stack of pillows. She drags her hips forward and leans against him. She rides him slowly with drooped eyes and a slackened jaw.

 

“You’re so big inside me,” she prattles. “It’s been so long, and you’re huge, and I’m so close again. This is so dirty.”

 

“Katniss,” he slurs and is rewarded with the image of her hands cupping her own breasts and squeezing. He curses at the sight and watches in disbelief as her head falls back and she reaches between her legs to rub herself.

 

She garbles several words, but he can’t decipher any of them. She tenses above him and bites her lip for several seconds before her hips rock forward again. Her shoulders tremble, and a crease deepens on her brow. He grips her hips tighter and groans as she tugs against his buried cock. He can tell she’s fighting another orgasm, and he loses focus at the feel of butterfly wings fluttering around his erection. Katniss yelps a tortured sob, and he bolts upright to cradle her against him. Her nipples scrape against his bare chest, and he seeks her mouth as her hips slide against his.

 

“I’m gonna come,” he grunts. His lap is sticky from their combined arousal, and the heat from her pussy scorches his pelvis. “Katniss, fuck! I’m gonna come! I’m—”

 

Katniss slumps against him with a groan as she climaxes again. She can barely hold herself up as he pulsates and throbs and empties into her. The force of his ejaculation tears through him, and he shouts her name to the ceiling. He tightens his arms around her and falls backward onto the mattress.

 

Their breath mingles in hoarse, ragged daggers as they gulp and pant in each other’s ears. Her legs are limp and tangled with his, and he wonders briefly how long it will be before either of them will be able to stand without wobbling. He’s still inside her but softening quickly. He doesn’t want to pull out, but it seems ridiculous not to. He tries to move her off him, but she releases an anguished cry when she slips from him.

 

“It’s okay. I’m here,” he murmurs. She flinches when he rubs the inside of her thigh, and it hits him that she’s both in pain and oversensitive to his touch. “I’m so sorry, Katniss. Are you all right?” She whimpers in response, and he kisses her temple in apology.

 

Their skin cools as the minutes pass. His heartbeat slows gradually, and he squirms under her. He can feel her seeping fluid against his leg, and he shifts to reach his soiled t-shirt again. As carefully as possible, he sweeps the cloth between her legs.

 

“No,” she moans and shudders.

 

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” He kisses her softly, but she doesn’t respond. “Katniss?”

 

“Too much,” she moans. “Don’t. Please.”

 

He smooths the hair from her forehead and kisses her left eyebrow and then her right. “Talk to me.”

 

With a shiver, she moans, “I’m going to come out of my skin. That was… I can’t—”

 

He can’t decide whether to chuckle or not, but it’s clear she’s still overstimulated and pretty woozy.

 

“I’ll be right back,” he whispers and slips from the bed to the bathroom for a washcloth. The sight of her, wrecked and limpid, in his bed makes him weak in the knees as he crosses the room. With as much tenderness as he can muster, he cleans her and pulls the covers over her goose-pimpled flesh.

 

Peeta tosses the washcloth into the bathroom sink and climbs into bed next to her. She stretches against him and tilts her face up for an open-mouthed, tequila laced kiss. The combination of their earlier fight, the alcohol, and sex hits him, and exhaustion seeps into his bones.

 

“I’m so tired, Katniss,” he admits, and she nuzzles into his neck. He flicks off the light and falls asleep with her wrapped around him.

 

She wakes him in the middle of the night when she gets up to use the bathroom. He begs her to come back to bed instead of returning to her own room, and she agrees, although he can tell she’s apprehensive about it. He convinces her with long, open-mouthed kisses and probing fingers that make her shudder and clamp around him as he swallows her blissful cries.

 

She’s about to slip back into sleep when he tugs her earlobe between his teeth and whispers, “If I’d known your body was wired for multiple orgasms, I might have put the moves on you earlier.”

 

She rolls away from him, but he follows her and pulls her bare back against his chest. Her soft ass rubs against his flaccid cock, and he tightens his arms around her.

 

“What’s wrong? What did I say?” he begs softly. “Please don’t shut me out. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

 

She sighs and offers a weary admission, “I didn’t know. I’m…”

 

“You’re what?” he murmurs against the damp skin of her neck.

 

She laces her fingers with his and brings his fingertips up to her lips. “I didn’t know I could do that. I wasn’t too experienced in high school, and I’ve been so busy at college that I haven’t really, uh—”

 

“Oh hell,” he hisses. “No wonder you’re sore. I’m sorry, Katniss. Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I didn’t want to stop you,” she whispers. “I still don’t.”

 

“Then I won’t,” he promises with a caveat. “But you’re exhausted. We can talk more in the morning.”

 

She doesn’t answer, and he smiles at her measured breathing. She’s already asleep in the curve of his arms, and a hint of a smile graces her full lips. He falls asleep dreaming of them around his cock.

 

The sun is coming up when he wakes to her hand on it, and her naked body glued to his. He’s rigid, as he usually is in the morning, and the feel of her fingers gripping his length results in a whimper so desperate it’s almost embarrassing.

 

“Does that feel good?”

 

“Shit, yes,” he moans and shakes away the lingering hangover. His head is pounding, but he has no desire to ruin this moment.

 

“Peeta, can we try something?” she queries. “I’ve always wanted to try something, and you’re already, uh, ready to go.”

 

“Anything,” he agrees without hesitation. He’s stunned she’s daring enough in the morning light to voice her request.

 

“I’ve, uh, well, I’ve kinda always wanted to try doggy style,” she admits in a rush, and he swears he blacks out briefly as his cock stiffens to concrete.

 

“Who are you? What did you do to my shy, studious, reserved best friend?” At her stricken expression, he kisses her quickly on the lips and explains, “I’m teasing. I’m just terrified this is a dream, and I’ll wake up before— Shut up, Peeta. Get on your hands and knees, sweetheart. A million times yes to your request.”

 

She scrambles to position herself, and he offers a silent prayer for strength and stamina as he stares at her perfectly curved ass waiting for him to take her from behind. Yesterday was so awful, but the only lingering reminder of his misery is the headache throbbing behind his eyes. He needs food and water, but he’s starving for the feel of her silky pussy massaging him.

 

“Are you sure you’re not too sore?”

 

At the insistent shake of her head, he settles onto his knees between her calves and angles himself into her. He slides in slowly and bites his bottom lip when her back arches and she pushes back against him. There are no words to describe the erotic sound that slips from her in a breathy gasp, so he doesn’t try. With a measure of control he didn’t know he had, he pulls out to his tip and stops when she wails her displeasure. Carefully, he rocks his hips, and she shudders as he fills her again.

 

He’s always imagined this position as one involved in a lot of mindless screwing, but it doesn’t feel that way with her. The muscles in her back flex and quiver as he strokes her, and she accepts his slow, steady rhythm without question. He leans over and kisses up and down her spine before licking the indentation between her shoulder blades.

 

“Holy shit,” he groans when she flexes around him. He quickens his pace slightly, and she pushes back harder.

 

“Faster,” she insists. “So close.”

 

He snaps his pelvis against her and groans at the jiggle of her curves against him. He falls forward to cover her back and cups one of her breasts as he rocks harder. She yelps her approval, and he absently registers that his headboard is rattling against the wall. He tries to stay quiet, but he realizes he doesn’t care if they’re heard. They can deal with that later, but at the moment, all he can process is the way her skin feels against his, the smell of her hair as it falls over her shoulders, and the pull of her around his erection.

 

Her arms collapse under her, and he pounds relentlessly until she screams into the mattress and jerks under him. The pressure of her around him is his undoing, and he chants her name as he comes. He can hardly breathe as they lay tangled together in a boneless heap. He makes sure he’s not crushing her and closes his eyes to regain his equilibrium.

 

“Peeta, why didn’t you ever tell me how you felt?”

 

“Because I’m an idiot.”

 

“Don’t say that,” she scolds and twists under him. He’s bereft as he slips from her, but he’s hopeful it won’t be the lasts time.

 

“I’m serious, Katniss. I was scared to death you’d reject me, so I pined away for you instead of being honest about how much I care about you. And I do care—so much.”

 

“How much?” She lifts her face to his, and he’s distracted momentarily by the feel of her tongue against his. Her hand cups his jaw, and he angles his head to kiss her deeply. When he can speak again, he decides there’s no use pretending anymore.

 

“I’m in love with you,” he admits in a rush and is relieved when she smiles. “I’ve been in love with you since the moment we met, and I’ve been stupidly hoping against hope that you’d realize it so I wouldn’t have to admit it. But I do, Katniss. I love everything about you. I love your frown when you’re working through a problem and the way your eyes crinkle when you’re irritated with me. I love your sense of humor and the way you make me laugh in the worst situations. I love that you leave your dishes in the sink no matter how many times Annie asks you to put them away. I love that you wait to do laundry until you have nothing else to wear but that ratty Panem State t-shirt and the yoga pants with the hole in the knee. I love your loyalty and your selflessness, and I love that you care about us enough that you got drunk on tequila just to get me to talk to you. I know how much you hate that stuff.”

 

Her eyes shine as she argues, “I hate fighting with you more.”

 

“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmurs and kisses her temple. “You love me too. Real or not real?”

 

“Real. Do I have to take another shot of tequila now?” she teases. When he shakes his head, she looks him straight in the eye and insists, “Then it’s really real.”

 

—

 

“Well, this is an interesting development. Isn’t it, Sugar?” Finnick murmurs in Annie’s ear.

 

His arm is slung over her shoulder, and the two of them lean back against the wall. They’re on the bench at the kitchen table, and their two roommates are cooking pancakes together by the stove. Katniss has a permanent half-smile that’s not normal since she’s usually scowling, and Peeta’s eyes blaze so brightly that they look like they’re on fire.

 

“Looks like they made up, doesn’t it?” she whispers and narrows her eyes. Peeta’s just put his hand on Katniss’ elbow, and she leaned into him in response.

 

“Made up or got it on,” Finnick scoffs. “It’s about damn time. Only took a public kiss and blow up to get them there.”

 

“Finnick, be serious. I think maybe something’s going on.”

 

“I think it’s called ‘sex,’ Annie.” She punches him in the gut, and he grunts.

 

“Look at them, Finn. They’re glowing, and I don’t think it’s because they banged. Ugh. I just used the word ‘banged.’ You’re rubbing off on me.”

 

“I’d like to rub off on you,” he jokes and winces as she elbows him again.

 

“Do you think…? I wonder,” she mutters before slapping a smile on as their roommates turn to face them. “Did you two make enough for us? I’m starved. Aren’t you, Finn?”

 

“Ravenous,” he smirks with an expression so innocent he looks completely guilty. “I need some pancakes or something.”

 

Peeta guides Katniss across the kitchen with his hand on the small of her back, and she flashes him an adoring look that makes Annie grin. He holds her chair, and Finnick chokes on his orange juice when she doesn’t snap at him for his chivalry. Once he’s cleared his throat, he considers the pair a bit more carefully. Maybe Annie’s right.

 

“You two look awfully chummy. Finally over the awkwardness? Ready to play nice for the last few sessions of the study?” he asks.

 

Peeta and Katniss look at each other, and the affection between them glows on their faces. They flush simultaneously and glance down at their laps until Peeta squares his shoulders. He drapes his arm over Katniss’ shoulder, pulls her against him, and kisses her temple.

 

“Things are great between us, actually. Thanks for asking,” Peeta answers firmly. Katniss’ cheeks flame when Finnick chuckles, and Annie takes pity on her.

 

“Well, I think it’s wonderful. You two have always been so close and make each other incredibly happy. It’s been such a source of anxiety to me that our attempt to have a little fun with a psychological study caused each of you pain.” Annie waits until Katniss raises her eyes before giving her a soft smile. “I’m really happy for you both.”

 

Katniss leans into Peeta and lays her head on his shoulder. She lifts his hand and intertwines their fingers. The gesture is so intimate that there’s no mistaking the type of relationship they have now. Something big changed overnight.

 

“Thanks, Annie,” Peeta murmurs and presses his lips to Katniss’ dark hair. “We’re pretty happy too.”

 

“So…?” Finnick asks, and Peeta flashes a megawatt smile.

 

“I love her, and she agrees.”

 

Annie gasps and claps her hands together. “I _knew_ it!” she squeals. “Finally! Finally, finally, _finally_! Praise the psychology gods!”

 

Katniss jolts, and a wave of recognition registers on her face. “You two signed us up on purpose.”

 

“We did!” Finnick crows. “We did, and you can thank us later. Peeta’s been mooning over you since the second he met you. It took you a little longer to realize, but you fell for him fairly fast too.”

 

“Did you?” she asks Peeta dumbly. “I didn’t know.”

 

“You do now, and we can’t do anything about the time we lost anyway,” Peeta reasons. “I’m looking forward to everything else.”

 

Katniss looks up at him, and he flashes her a bashful smile.

 

“Sappy, but completely adorable,” Finnick laughs, and Annie smacks his thigh under the table.

 

“Ignore him, guys,” Annie begs. “I love him, but he has no sense. We’ve got an appointment, so we’ll leave you to your breakfast. Dinner tonight at Sae’s?”

 

After their confirmation, Annie tugs Finnick from the kitchen and pauses at the door to watch their roommates for a few minutes. With a finger pressed to her lips to quiet her boyfriend, she wiggles with excitement when Peeta lifts Katniss’ chin and kisses her gently. As soon as they’re out the front door, Annie turns to Finnick and squeals.

 

“We’re the best matchmakers in the world!”

 

He grabs her and twirls her in a circle before kissing her deeply. “So proud of us. Cannot believe those two finally figured it out. I vote for a lot of time away from the house until they work through the new relationship sex. Those two are going to be going at it like bunnies for months.”

 

“Eww,” she responds with a wrinkled nose. “Don’t be crass.”

 

“I’m just remembering what we were like,” he recalls with hazy eyes. “Those were the days.”

 

“Those were good times,” she agrees. “Maybe we can go away for the weekend. Might be a good time for us to have a little alone time too.”

 

“Oh, hell yes. Where are we going? I’ll make reservations now.”

 

Annie shakes her head and moves to the car. “You’re incorrigible, but I love you.”

 

“And you’re a meddling matchmaker, and I love you too.”

 

—

 

“So, this is your final session,” Dr. Abernathy reminds them and peers over the top of his glasses at the couple in the chairs opposite him. “How would you say your participation in this study has shaped your relationship since you filled out the questionnaire a few months ago?” He observes the look they exchange and makes a careful mark on his notepad.

 

“It’s definitely strengthened it,” Peeta offers with a goofy half-smile that makes Haymitch repress a sudden urge to roll his eyes.

 

 _The boy’s head over heels for this girl_ , he ruminates. _I don’t remember that being quite so obvious from earlier sessions._

 

“What do you think, Katniss?” he asks and waits for her to share her thoughts.

 

She flushes and stammers her answer. “I, uh, yeah. Definitely closer.”

 

“To what do you contribute this increased closeness?” He watches as Peeta reaches over to take Katniss’ hand and laces their fingers together.

 

“The study forced us to face some things we weren’t ready to admit.”

 

“Care to share, Peeta?”

 

“Sure. I hadn’t told her I loved her. Now I have.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“And now he has, and I told him the same.”

 

Katniss speaks with a surety she hadn’t expressed more than a few times in any of the interviews Haymitch had observed. He flips through a few pages to a note Effie had made from a previous session. _Katniss holds Peeta at arm’s length. His attempts to get her to show affection seem rebuffed at every turn._

“That is a significant shift between you. Any change to your living arrangement as a result?”

 

“We have an extra room now, so we have an office Katniss uses to study. I paint there.”

 

“You’re sharing a bedroom now? You weren’t before?”

 

“It’s a big step,” Katniss protests, and he glances between the two of them.

 

“That it is,” he agrees and makes another note. “Anything else you’d care to share? No? Well, in that case, make sure to check with Johanna on the way out. She’ll record your successful completion of the study and begin the paperwork for your compensation.” As the two slip from the room, he smirks as Johanna’s voice reaches him.

 

“Well, if it isn’t the star-crossed lovers. Did you two finally work it out? No tall and handsome childhood friends coming in between you anymore?”

 

Haymitch knows Johanna’s never been convinced Peeta and Katniss are really a couple, but the final session’s convinced him. He makes one final note and then files their folder.

 

_She could live a hundred lifetimes and still feel she doesn’t deserve him. He’d do anything to protect her. What they have is as real as it gets._


End file.
